I’m running a business not an ego

Recently I saw some of my photographs being used in a magazine editorial about a business (not unusual considering my commercial work of late). I did the work for the client so that they could take the images and add them to pieces they were going to submit to magazines, use on their website etc. It was a lovely job to do and I got paid a good fee for the work. Everyone was happy.

When I saw a friend reading the magazine, I pointed out the pictures were mine. “Oh my God” she said “but they don’t have your name on them”, she really seemed shocked.  She was right, they didn’t have my name on them but the cheque I got for making these images did.
When it comes to either having my name next to a published photograph and having my name on a pay cheque there’s only ever one winner, because I’m running a business, not my ego.

When it comes to working for free I have a simple rule that I have stuck to from very early on.

If somebody contacts me with a “great idea” that I could do some work for them and in return my photographs are credited and then I can get “loads of publicity”, (this is amusingly always presented like the best opportunity I will ever have and they are the first person to ever have such a great idea) the answer is always thank you but no.

When I want to work on my portfolio or have an idea or a technique I’d like to try or would just like to work with another business in particular who makes amazing products or sells a great service, I love to do it and do it “for free” because I can control what work is done. I love to create and nurture great relationships (and hopefully great images) and move my business forward how I want to. It is always me who instigates these scenarios and therefore I remain in control.
I have found that once you start doing something on someone else’s terms, it’s hard to move out from under their grasp…
“Can you just do this?”
“Oh can you just do that?”

It is great to see your name credited on work that is published after it has been “chosen” to feature somewhere cool, who doesn’t love to see their in lights? But when it comes to working for free, I’m not going to be taken advantage of because my version of “great publicity” is often very different to the person with the original fabulous plan as to how they can help me. I reckon it is only ever other photographers who google the names of credits anyway and believe me, if I see my work published I will take tear sheets and shout about it anyway.

So don’t get me wrong. For personal projects, collaboration, working with amazing people who make cool products or sell funky services, if I have an idea or we come up with an idea over coffee one morning…then working “for free” can lead to great opportunities. Right now I have a couple of personal projects on the go that have come out of relationships I have made with people beyond that out-of-the blue phonecall. Phone me up out of the blue with a great idea that you think will get me great publicity and I will struggle to be excited.

Coffee excites me though

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This blog post is coming to you from the NEC, Birmingham where I am at the Focus On Imaging show soaking up all that’s great about the photography industry, I am making a video post too so keep an eye out for that – you can find me on facebook, twitter, google + etc…see you there.

Suzanne

Woodland Wonders at Brathens

I couldn’t move my studio to such a beautiful location without taking advantage, especially with Spring on the way. So now I have settled in, I have decided to take us out into the woods around Brathens Eco-Business Park where the studio is now based and create some really fun and different portraits for families and kids.
The idea is simple, you book a session and come along with a smile and some changes of clothes. We head outside where there are woods, benches, walking tracks, funky outbuildings and gorgeous settings and we create wall portraits which really are unique to you and your family. What do the kids love doing? Ballet? Rugby? Well bring along their kit for a change too.
It’s amazing how kids come out of themselves when they are wearing their sports kit or their dance costumes. Woodland Wonders sessions are available to book now and will be complimentary until 30th May 2012. This means you can come and experience the family sessions for free! A range of beautiful traditional or contemporary frames are available, you can come to the studio to see the examples if you wish.
Check out the images below and book now on 07825 892830 or e-mail shoot@suzanneedge.com

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EDGEshots service goes UK wide

The EDGEshots service is very simple. You send your products/stock to the studio. It’s photographed in all sorts on interesting ways. You pick your favourites and receive them via email or on CD…and then you get your stock back.

More information will follow on the EDGEshots service very soon.

Suzanne

Funky new things…but the usual me!

I moved in to the new studio at Brathens last week  which has been brilliant. It’s great being able to have the kit set up and ready to go. You can now find me at Brathens Eco-Business Park near Banchory. There’s some really interesting new stuff going on but I will tell you all about that in blogs to come.

After a few rants in the blog last year people were asking me if I was OK! I suppose I should have realised that if you go from being quiet to suddenly shouting people will question your sanity. Sorry to alarm anyone, I was merely using my blog as a platform to say how I felt about things.

Anyway, speaking of blogs I thought it might be fun to start making a video blog and connecting with people that way so here it is…the first installment (deliberately rubbish so I can improve it *winks*

Enjoy…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4wJMR3mDdE&feature=g-upl&context=G2713109AUAAAAAAAAAA

 

 

 

 

 

Reality for photography mums…

If they can see me over the huge ironing pile, I am often asked “How do you do it?” – They’re asking about how I am running my photography business as well as being a full-time mum (is there any other kind of Mum?) It’s the same question I ask when I meet someone with four or more children…of course I don’t really mean it, I know it’s just hard work and you get on with it but the question is a good ice-breaker, it’s a way to start a conversation and actually, it is pertinent because it is bloomin hard work.

Mum with camera is a phrase I keep hearing and I do find it derogatory but in my experience to do a good job they have to work a damn site harder to get the same results and probably have less cash to throw into the business pot.

Making a good living from photography with a young family at home is not as easy as it sounds. The reality is hard graft and if you’re going to do it – be prepared. “I like to work around my family” is another phrase I hear a lot. I use it myself and it does work with this industry but think carefully about what being a people photographer involves. When your kids are at school, so are other people’s so you aren’t going to be shooting them then. Weddings don’t normally happen at 10.30 on a Tuesday morning when you’ve got the time, they’re most likely at the weekend, away from the family you might have given up a job to be with.
Yes, you can work at night when the children are in bed (that’s when I get most things done) but you can’t make phone calls or talk to suppliers at midnight. Your clients and prospective customers won’t know you collect Little Johnny from nursery at midday – I’ll guarantee that’s when they’ll call.

My original plan was to work on certain days (based around childcare). I was a bit naive to think customers would just slot in to my timetable.  “But Little Lucy has riding lessons on a Tuesday so we’ll come for photos on a Monday will that do?”
At the end of the day we offer photography products but essentially we are a service and it’s all about timings – and usually other people’s.

I’m not trying to put anyone off or burst any bubbles. I do all of these things – and it’s going well. All I’m saying is, understand what you’re getting in to and be prepared – that’s the answer to the “how do you do it?” question.

I have whole weekends in my diary marked NO SHOOTS – I arrange them in advance with my husband and they become family time – no compromise. They are clearly built in to my year and business plans as off limits so there are no surprises. I have a no work on Friday evening rule – and if the phone rings (which it does) I arrange to talk another time. I don’t believe this will upset your customers or turn them away. One thing that took me by surprise was how willing my customers were to help and be understanding – well they are mostly mums too! They probably have a lot of respect for what you are doing.

When it comes to difficult times of day – such as the business networking breakfasts (clearly not an option) you just have to find another way. There are local business mums groups about and they are full of like minded people with the same issues and concerns…so get looking for them. (If you are part of such a group or know of one then please put the link below).
Having said that, there is not one local to me so I am going to get some business mums together in the New Year – let me know if you are interested.

Get on MumsClub and check out blogs such as Business Plus Baby, Joanne Dewberry and MumpreneurUK

It’s not all easy sailing doing this with kids in tow…but there’s plenty of ways around any problems so nothing should be stopping you! Mind you, I know someone who has got more than four children AND runs a photography business but honestly, I don’t know how she does it!

If you have experience of starting a photography business with a young family then please let us know about it in the Comments section and don’t forget to LIKE the Facebook page to keep in touch.

Are you doing them any favours?

After my first year at Uni I went out to Australia for the summer. To justify my trip (and the expense of my parents) I organised some work experience at the virology lab in the Brisbane Children’s Hospital. I was involved in a Hepatitis B study, all DNA and exciting new machines that are soooo out of date now. Anyway, at the end of my time in the lab I asked the boss if he could write something about what I had done – to show I hadn’t wasted my time surfing or lying on beaches. He looked at me and laughed – leaned forward and said “do it yourself”. Lesson learned.

And that’s how I feel now when I am approached by people looking to organise work experience. Actually that’s not quite true – that’s how I feel now when I am approached by people looking to organise their children’s work experience. Which has been happening quite a lot lately. If you’re looking for work experience (whatever your age) it feels like no photographer will help. It might just be they’re not able or don’t have the facilities, it’s an industry where most people work for themselves and on their own. I do want to help aspiring photographers but there are some ground rules.

If somebody phones me to organise their child’s work experience, the first thought that goes through my head is – are they going to stand in the corner all week and not get involved themselves?  It is easier now that it has ever been for a seventeen year old to do it themselves. They have internet access, email accounts, facebook, twitter, mobile phones…they can easily make contact, ask questions, make friends and ask for themselves. Show me you’re keen and proactive and I will be willing to help.  Get mum to do it and I will immediately assume you are not even bothered to speak to me yourself.

I had a friend at Uni who was studying zoology. She was also involved in HELP – a group who would travel around the world in their holidays to carry out projects (school building and the like) for people who needed help the most. They would do this partly at their own expense and partly through big fundraising drives through the rest of the year. People often said to her (and said to me when I got back from my lab experience in Brisbane) – “you’re so lucky”. That made us laugh – luck had nothing to do with it. We had an idea, got off our bums and went and did it. She spent the next many years working really hard and spending a small fortune in order to become the vet she wanted to be…once again, luck had nothing to do with it. Michelle’s drive and tenacity has stuck with me and I won’t forget it.

When I was at school I was asked to be involved in some or other kids community group. I thought it would be good to get in the regional paper so I wrote to the editor. He wrote back and asked me to call to arrange a meeting at the paper’s office. I phoned one day from the school payphone. “When can you come in” his PA asked. “When I finish school so I can be there are 4pm”.
“You’re a teacher?” she asked.
“No, I’m at school” there was a moments silence.
“OK, see you then.”
When I arrived at the paper’s office I was met by someone else…  “the editor couldn’t make it but you wrote a lovely professional letter, we thought you were a grown up.”
I knew what had happened. They were interested until they saw the school uniform – I was fobbed off.  I will never do that to anyone who has the guts and drive to ask me themselves for help – no matter how old or young they are. Sometimes I might be a bit busy or not be able to help directly – but I will just tell you so!

Now I don’t have any teenagers hanging about and I won’t have one for another few years. If you do you’re probably thinking I’m being harsh and that if you don’t do it for them who will…but that’s my point. If they are good at something, enthusiastic about something, keen about something they will do much much much better if they ask the questions themselves because there’s competition out there.
Oh and think about what you’re saying because “I got a new camera for Christmas and want to make money with it” won’t cut it!

So disappointed…

So disappointed – what an opportunity!

Just to start, this is not a whinge at bad service – it is a look at how a local business runs and hopefully it could give us some thoughts to try and do it better (in a bit of a jumped-up self appointed business inspector kind of way )

We were going to go for a family walk but the weather looked like it was getting worse so we thought we might visit the local kids play centre. It’s the only one within 30 minutes of our house, so really hasn’t much local competition.
When we arrived we were greeted by two young (well younger than me) girls behind the till. Nobody smiled, nobody talked to the kids, there was no welcome help through the door – no reaction – what so ever. My husband handed over some cash so I suppose they must have bothered to say how much it was to get in.  Once the kids were inside and had set off to explore what was on offer in the play area I went back to the till to ask for some refreshments. Once again, they just looked at me, once again there was no “hi again, how can we help”, no smiles, no reaction. One was leaning on folded arms across the counter and for the other there was no looking up from the nails she was inspecting.
“Could I have a coffee please?”  (She writes it down.)
“Do you do hot chocolate?” (“There’s a menu” she says pointing to it on the counter.)
“OK, could we have some juice for the kids?” Bottles appear.
We had to ask for cups, we had to ask for straws (not an unreasonable request for three year olds, especially as I could see a big box of straws on the shelf).
I asked what snacks were available for kids, they just moved away so I could see the shelves, which were all mixed up so it was hard to find something. They could have helped, pointed to appropriate snacks…instead they just looked at me, waiting.

Yes, indeed, I am capable of reading a menu. If there had been one on my table I would have read it before I went to the counter. A blackboard of what is available today might have helped too.
 
The place had clearly been cleaned in all of the areas that could be reached. The toilets were clean and well stocked with, well, you know, toilety things. The tables were clean and tidy, the floor had been vacuumed recently, the kit was well maintained and wasn’t worn. It was warm and bright in the seating area. There are security conscious CCTV cameras and screens showing the different sections of the play area. The areas that were not so easy to reach however, were filthy…thick with dust. OK, I understand, these areas in a soft play area can be hard to reach but if you’re going to spend thousands of pounds on this kit, you can afford to buy a ladder and while you’re at it, teach one of your very bored looking uninspiring staff to use it.
 
There was a small group who must have come for a party. Nothing was made obvious it was a party – I only realised when a kid handed a gift to his friend. A great opportunity for such a place to embrace – but no decorated tables, nothing special put on. There was no obvious information about how we could have a party ourselves. We could easily have left with some leaflets about what services are on offer if we had been given them on the way out. I just feel like there could have been much better engagement with us…an acknowledgement that we were valued customers, see you again soon kind of thing. There was nothing at all related to the huge festival soon to be upon us – no Christmas holiday specials, no “what’s coming in the new year” (probably because nothing new is coming).

There was no enagement with us through social media either – if we had had a good experience I would have been sure to tell everyone on Facebook and give the place a shout out on Twitter (telling 750 people about it at no cost to them). I would have followed the blog to keep up with what’s coming for the kids to enjoy.

Back at school today I spoke to other Mums about play centres – they all agreed it was better to travel further to the other choices in the county. What a terrible shame and missed opportunity for this business.

When I go off on a rant like this I understand things are easier said than done. I wonder if I could actually do it better. I can’t afford the £700,000 price tag on this business but believe me, if I could, I would try a hell of a lot harder to keep hold of customers and make it the talk of the town rather than the one that makes us shrug our shoulders and head elsewhere.

A Dream Week – with the Phototraining4u.com Dream Team

Earlier in the year I entered a promotion competition with Phototraining4u.com. They are an online photography training company who are the fastest growing (and not far off the biggest) in the world. I’d been a member for a while and honestly, being a member of PT4U was the best money I ever spent. I’ve been following the apprentices (startup photographers needing guidance) over the last couple of years…and was so jealous of the opportunity they had…I’ve also been hooked on Studio Watch (Michelle Szpak  being helped  in her high-street studio). I didn’t think I would be so lucky to win a dream week in Cardiff shooting with Mark, but I joined in anyway.

I got a bit of a shock when an email from Debbie Cleghorn made my phone ping. At first I thought my friends were playing some funny trick on me!  I was able to take a friend so I asked Marie Paterson (Memaries photography) along with me. She’s always been so positive and helped me with so much – so it was payback time. Couldn’t wipe the grin off her face all the way to Cardiff and back!

The brief was simple enough….”Get yourself to Cardiff on 10th October and we’ll do the rest”….and they certainly did. There were two other winners also on their way and Mark and the team organised great locations and great models and taught us so much. They were so generous with their time, knowledgeand guidance and we were fed more than we could eat and put up in a hotel with a David Lloyd attached (but no time for tennis!) – we didn’t want for anything while we were in their hands.

Day One – we went to the old chapel and met Alena – an amazing ballerina model – she posed, leaped, spun and danced on such a cold day and always with a smile. Starting with natural light and then moving on to flash and then carrying on at the museum in the city and down at the Bay…what a great introduction. I think I learned more in the first two hours than I had taught myself in the last two years!

Day Two - In a boutique hotel/club with Becky Dee for some Boudoir/lighting work. So much that I had heard in previous videos was making sense and starting to stick in my head.

Day Three – On the Pier and at the beach with Oli Spears – WOW! We had great clouds and backgrounds and I think for me, this was my best day…a real dream day. (Though I have to admit I got a little frustrated with myself when I made silly mistakes.)

Day Four – Street photography in Cardiff. It took me a wee while to get into stride actually. I thought someone was going to stop me and demand to see the photos I had just taken of them. After a few minutes following Mark at work I got into my stride (he was like a kid in a sweety shop with the chance to photograph on the streets)…my shots was really funny though, I kept missing the targets and getting lovely shots of empty flagstones and railings!  After lunch (Greggs of course!)  beautiful model Yasmin joined us and we got back to fashion, posing and lighting…this was so so useful. We got a chance to get some shots away on our own and then went and played with shop window lights after dark. Passers by were fascinated!

Day Five – On day five we went to the woods with Heather. It was a culmination of everything we’d discussed all week and it was hard work remembering it all, but great fun. As I was setting up one shot a guy came up, took a shot with his iPad and walked off….We seemed to attract crowds everywhere. The afternoon was fun and games, searching for interesting shots and playing games with shadows and light.

In amongst these sessions with the models there were early starts at the lake in the mist and at Caerphilly Castle (where we made our own mist) and I think I only used my “Welcome to Wales” brolly twice.  We also got the chance to sit in the dry and talk and about our images and even our plans for the future.

Despite being videoed we didn’t want it to end…it was certainly a Dream Week! Our drive home was long and packed with ideas, plans and laughs. It was great being able to take Marie along too. Here’s a video slideshow with more of the images from the week. If you want to join phototraining4u then do it and let them know I sent you (of course I have an affiliate code )

Thanks so so much to Mark, Debbie and the team at Phototraining4u.com.

“I’m Suzanne Edge for the PT4U Dream Team…we’ll see you on the next one!”

Is this a sign I’m getting old?

 A very strange thing happened to me yesterday. I had an interview for a freelance position which I thought would be great and compliment my business for a while. 

So what was strange? Well, for once I wasn’t nervous, I was just me. I told them what I could offer. No pretending. I knew that in all likelihood there were other candidates with a lot more experience and that was cool. If they wanted me, that would be great, if not, well, in their eyes I couldn’t have done the job.  Ten years ago (probably only ten weeks ago in fact) I might have been blubbing after the phonecall to tell me I wasn’t successful but instead I find myself philosphical.

“That’s fine, it was fun and interesting to chat to them” the inner voice is saying “you’re doing well, just keep at it.”

WHAT? COME AGAIN? My inner voice has never been that sensible! It used to say things like “you just waffled crap” or “knew you shouldn’t have chosen that jacket” or “you come across as a complete donkey!”

After the interview I went to Aberdeen where I met the ladies who are starting up in business in the City and Shire at the Women into Business launch with Business Gateway @BGateway_ACS. I was one of the speakers on the night and I followed Alice Ratcliffe of Deer Digital @AliceRatcliffe - crickey they’ve done well in such a short amont of time. I joked about finding it difficult to follow her talk – probably a defence mechanism – cover my back before I make a donkey of myself!
In truth I wasn’t actually feeling like that. This was me…despite many similarities our cicumstances are different and I was just there to talk about my experiences of starting up,  leaving my job and doing it all at home with kids in tow. I don’t feel embarrassed any more about that. I don’t feel self-concious anymore that I don’t wear make-up on a normal day. I don’t feel awkward any more about my clothes – I just don’t do girly. I had such a positive response from them.

So, this is me, take me or leave me. I am who I am.  WHEN THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN?!

Think my degree has been wasted?

I don’t usually bring this up but everyone else does! I feel like I’ve been explaining myself a lot lately. On a recent attempt to explain why I gave up a medical career to start my own business somebody said to me I sounded very rehearsed.
It certainly wasn’t rehearsed like a keynote speech in front of the bathroom mirror but I have said the whole thing a few times!

I felt very strongly, very early on, that I wanted to be my own boss, work for myself or at least choose the projects that I was involved with. I felt stifled through medical school and working in the NHS that I could not design and work on ideas and projects, seeing them through. I felt, and feel now, that if I pick up a ball and run with it that the outcome should be proportional to how far, hard and how fast I choose to run. Creativity was another issue – well noone wants me to get too creative with their drug dosage believe me!

I’m thinking that there’s probably a consultant of  something or other reading this and thinking that they do get to do all these things in their line of work but hear me out…
I was only a junior doctor and I had a long way to go to reach the dizzy heights of consultant or GP.
As a Junior Doctor I had not much say in where (in the country) I was going to be working and living…The BBC1 Casualty show’s idea that a resident/JHO/PRHO/FY1 (whatever you want to call them now) get a job for years in one department is not quite right. Junior doctors move around and I didn’t want to (husband, house, kids, dog, husband’s work…get the picture?).
I also found the idea of “less than full time” training too hard going and restrictive on my young family. All these things might not last forever but they last even longer when you’ve got kids in tow and I’m already in my thirties. I don’t want to drop my kids off before breakfast and pick them up after tea and be dictated to by a private nursery whether I was on the rota to work that day or not…but again, that’s just my choice. Oh, and another thing, I would not have actually earned any money after I paid all those nursery fees.
A nurse recently said to me that the consultant on her ward has four children and works full time. “Well done her” I said, eyes rolling. “Oh it’s not a her” she said “he’s a man, his wife looks after the kids”.  Seriously!

I have mummy doctor friends who work a day a week or part time and that’s fine for them further up the food chain. But juniors on the bottom rungs of the ladder can’t just work and train for one day a week (and rightly so).
I am lucky enough to live with someone who can pay the bills while I establish my business….so when my kids came along, it was a good time to go to it.

So here it is, I’m not pretending that I am playing Mum 24 hours a day. But if I do spend time away from my children for work, it’s on my terms, my rota.

I have been asked on countless occassions whether I feel that walking away from medicine has wasted “all those years of hard work”. I don’t agree. How many people have earned degrees that they don’t use directly? I also  think that this opinion somewhat belittles the hard work that people put into their degrees, like it would have been ok if it was anything other than medicine. My brother has a Law degree but after working as an Army officer he now works in a  different field and has built and runs Aprodex.com, nobody has asked him “When are you going back to your proper job”!
Studying medicine and working as a junior doctor has made me who I am. It has given me many things beyond the certificate on the wall (OK, in an envelope in a  drawer). It has found me many friends for life. It has given me an ability to appreciate what people have and don’t have. It’s taken me into the lives of countless people who I would never have met and that has taught me one thing. Life is yours to choose what you do with it. I was sick of thinking What If.

I did not walk away from medicine because I didn’t like it, or it was bad in any way, on the contrary I loved it. I walked away because FOR ME this life is even better. I don’t see the point in sticking my square peg in a round hole if I’ve found somewhere more suitable. I only have one life and I’m living it for me and my family, by my rules. It may be hard at times, but I chose it that way.